Earth-auger.



J. ERNST.

EARTH AUGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. s. 1917.

1,251,206. Patented Dec. 25,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

/ZP I (DEW M 9 @ElZL ATTORNEY J. ERNST.

EARTH AUGER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.8. 191-2.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR fl W ATTORNEY J. ERNST.

EARTH AUGERI APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8. 1 9.

1,25 1,206. Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVNTOR 01% M WC ATTORNE-Y JOHN ERNST, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

EARTH-AUGEE.

Application filed August 8, 1917.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ERNST, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Earth-Angers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well drilling machinery and particularly to means for removing earth from wells containing water as where the excavated material must be elevated in a hole containing water, the said invention having for its object the provision of novel means for reaming the walls 'of the excavation and for operating the reamer blades or members so that they may be projected or retracted by mechanism operated from the surface of the ground in which the well is being drilled.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed. I

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a view showing the casing closed;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the casing open with the reaming blades closed;

Fig. 3 is a top section of the casing showing the reaming blades open;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged section of the upper end of the release pipe showing the valve covering;

Fig. 5 is a section through 5- 5 Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section through 66 Fig. 3, showing the vent and driving rod with all other parts removed;

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the casing showing the cross brace, all other parts being removed; and

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the casing showing the cutting knives with the boring point removed.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged View of a fragment of the auger having the door open, showing clearly the operation of the reamer blades.

In these drawings 1 denotes a casing, 2 a. door hinged to the casing and adapted to close an opening formed in the casing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1911?.

Serial No. 185,165.

The casing is divided into channels through the use of plates 3 and 4 which are secured to the interior wall of the said casing and the channels 5 formed between the plates 3 and 4t and the said casing permit water or fluid to pass from one end of the cage or casing to the other when the auger penetrates to a point where itmust pass through water at the bottom of the well to complete the digging.

Without these passages it should be noted that the water could not pass through the casing owing to the partition 11. At the lower end of the casing, there is a brace or cross bar 7 which constitutes a support for the boring bit or point 9 and the blades or cutters 10. I

At a point intermediate the length of the casing, which may be arbitrarily determined, is a partition 11 dividing the casing into a lower compartment 12 and an upper compartment 13 and the partition has on opening 13*, preferably square in plan, through which the lower end of a driving rod 13 may slide as it is reciprocated to communicate motion to the reamer blades 24 through instrumentalities which will be presently explained. The partition is also provided with an aperture 13 preferably round, to receive the lower end of a vent pipe 1% which may communicate with the lower compartment 12.

Situated at the upper end of the casing 1 is a cross brace 15 to which a bracket 16 for supporting the shifting lever 17 is secured. The cross brace 15 has an aperture 15 through which a driving rod 13 extends in its passage to thepartition 11.

Reamer blades 24 are supported by the cross bar or brace 15 through the medium of the arms 23 and the said arms are mounted on pivots 15 which extend through the cross brace. The arms 23 have a toggle joint 25 at their lower ends and a brace 26 connects the said arms. a rod 27 extends vertically of the casing and is connected to the toggle joint at 28, the said rod being guided in a. yoke 29 carried by the driving rod 13. Brackets 30 and 31 are also attached to the driving rod and links 32 are pivotally connected to the said brackets and the arms 23.

Lugs 18 are secured on the interior surface of the casing and a rod 19 is guided therein. Hooks are formed on the rod by the formation of notches 20 and the door 2 has latches 21 which engage the rod at its notched portions and the rod is moved vertically to effeet a locking of the door. The door has hinges 22 and the rod 19 is operated by a lever 17 mounted on a pivot on the cross brace 15.

Located on the upper end of the casing is a hood 33 which partially covers the reamers when the casing is closed. Attached to the lower ends of the reamer arms 23 are toggle joints 25 as stated, which together with the brace 26 perform two functions. They act as locks in holding the reamer blades from moving outward after they have been moved inwardly and they assist n moving them outward when the rod 27 is moved up by a cable which may be attached to said rod through the eye 27', Fig. 3.

After closing the door 2 and securing it to the casing 1 by moving the lever 17 in the direction of the arrow, which pushes down the rod 19 and forces the notches of the rod over the catches which hold the door closed, the device is ready to be operated for boring a well.

In operation, when the hole has been dug to a depth equal to the length of the casing, the auger is allowed to rest on the bottom of the hole or the weight is taken from the rod 13 by tightening the cables attached to the rod 27, and the reamer blades 24: will be opened or moved outward as shown in Fig. 3. The reamer blades are locked in their outward or open position by the links 32 and thereafter the reamer blades can be operated by the rod 27 by pulling up or tightening the cable which is attached to the rod at 27' as stated.

As the auger revolves and is excavating or dislodging earth or dirt, the blades or cutter knives 10 operate and the dislodged matter enters the lower compartment 12 while the water is forced out through the vent pipe 14, and the valve 34 on the upper end of the vent pipe prevents water from returning to the lower compartment or, chamber. The upper chamber or compartment is filled by the action oi? the reamer blades which operate to increase the diameter of the hole as the auger is being rotated. To remove the auger from the well, pull is exerted on the cable attached to the rod 13 and through a hoist (not shown) which may be located on the surface of the ground and the pull exerted on the rod will close the reamer blades and carry them within the casing hood.

To remove dirt or earth that is within the casing, the lever 17 is operated in a direction opposite the arrow to bring the rod 19 into action to release the door, so that the door may open and the deposit within the chambers of the auger may be removed.

menace Tn operating the auger, suitable machinery for turning the same will be located upon the surface on which the well is being bored, and the driving shaft 13 of the auger will be coupled to the operating niachinery. One cable should be attached to the bracket 30 for lowering and raising the auger and another. cable should be attached to the rod 27 which assists in unlocking and opening the reamer blades.

I claim I 1. In an anger for drilling wells comprising a casing having a door, partitions in the casing dividing the casing into compartments forming ways for the passage of fluid.

2. In an auger for drilling wells, a casing having a door, plates interiorly of the casingand secured to the wall thereof for forming channels, a cross brace at the lower end of the said casing, a screw point and blades secured to said cross brace, a partition within the said casing, said partition having apertures therein, an operating rod in one of the apertures, and a vent pipe in the other of said apertures.

3. An auger for drilling wells of the character described, comprising a casing, a door for said casing, vertical plates within said casing, a cross bar located at the upper end of said casing, a bracket secured to said cross bar, locking means for holding the door closed, and a lever secured to said bracket for operating the locking means, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an auger for digging wells, a casing, a door for said casing, vertical plates within the casing, a horizontal partition within said casing, a movable drive shaft extending through the partition, brackets secured to said drive shaft, links attached to the said drive shaft, reamers havingarms connected to the links of the drive shaft, means for pivotally supporting the arms of the reamer blades, means for operating the reamer blades, means for locking the said reamer blades in one position of adjustment, and a cover for the said reamer blades.

5. In an auger for digging wells, a casing, a door for said casing, vertical plates within the casing, a horizontal partition within said casing, a movable drive shaft extending through the partition, brackets secured to said drive shaft, links attached to the said drive shaft, reamers having arms connected to the links of the driveshaft. means for pivotally supporting the arms of the reamer blades, means for operating the reamer blades, and means for locking the said reamer blades in one position of adjustment.

JOHN ERNST. 

